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The health minister Earl Howe has insisted that the government is “doing its best” to alleviate the workload strain on general practitioners, as GPs voiced their anger at the pressures being placed on practices in England.

In a speech to delegates at the Best Practice 2013 conference in Birmingham, Howe said that the government was conscious of the pressures being felt by the profession, which stemmed from increasing demand and current contractual targets. He said that upcoming negotiations over changes to GPs’ contracts would reflect a need to reduce bureaucracy.

Best Practice is the new name for the conference of the National Association of Primary Care which brings together GPs, commissioners, practice managers, and others involved in delivering services in the community.